Various systems and methods exist for structural heath monitoring (“SHM”) of structures using acoustic emission (“AE”). However, these systems and monitoring techniques typically use disk-shaped d33/d13-type piezoelectric transducers that are resonant in a thickness or radial mode. These sensors are susceptible to environmental noise, such as rain and wind-blown sand and dirt, and have localization algorithms which rely on velocities of mode(s) which vary depending on the structure's thickness and the frequency of the AE event, causing errors in event localization. The use of an AE sensor that is primarily sensitive to a shear-type guided wave mode can reduce unwanted environmental noise as well as increase the robustness of localization algorithms, among other benefits. Additionally, a sensor which can perform active guided wave (“GW”) sensing, as well as passive AE sensing, can combine the advantages of both inspection methods.